All posts filed under: ARTISTS

Explore Local Artists and Know Their Stories

“My Art Brings Me Closer To Myself” – Nandini Nair, an Artist and IRS Officer From Chennai

Published by Samyama

Nandini Nair is an artist and IRS officer based out of Chennai. She began painting early on and found her solace in art. “I love the process more than the output – exploring myself through art has always elevated my spirits,” says Nandini. Her art is an exploration of herself, of women and of people around her.  Recently she showcased 50 of her artworks in an exhibition titled ‘Small Talk’ which took her 1 year to complete. With her work, she hopes to inspire people to delve a little deeper and connect with their true selves. Get to know her better as we chat with her about art and the inspiration behind it.  Hello Nandini! Firstly, a big congrats for your solo exhibition. Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am Nandini Nair, a visual artist based out of Chennai. I was born and raised in Cochin city, Kerala. I went to school and did my undergrad and post graduation in Economics I usually work with a variety of mediums including watercolour, pen and ink, …

rootsandleisure_claudia_lyngdoh

“Music is my Coping Mechanism” — Soul Singer Claudia Lyngdoh from Shillong, Meghalaya

Published by Temsulong

Claudia Lyngdoh is a music star waiting to be found! We discovered this budding female soul singer on Instagram and spent a good amount of time simply admiring her voice and the immense potential she has. She is a singer/songwriter who is juggling college life while moonlighting the career of her dreams — music. Currently living in Shillong, she’s gearing up to play at NH7 Weekender for the 2nd time!  Claudia sat down with R&L, on her very first interview ever, to share about life and an exclusive preview from her upcoming EP.  Hi Claudia, please introduce yourself to the R&L community! Hey there, I’m Claudia Lyngdoh, which is my stage name too. I’m 20 years ‘young’, born and brought up in Shillong. I’m currently pursuing my Bachelor’s at St. Mary’s College, Shillong and making music on the side. I feel I’m a soulful person with a similar soulful taste in music! Claudia at 93.5 Big Fm Radio You sing beautifully! Tell us how you got started. Aw, thank you. Funny story! I started my …

Meet Rachel Lopez of ‘The Greater Bombay’ – an Instagram Account that Curates Quirky Ceiling Designs Inside Taxis

Published by Samyama

While most people go about their day in a flurry, forgetting to ‘stop and smell the roses’, Rachel Lopez is one observant journalist with a heart inclined towards the arts! Everywhere she goes, she ‘looks up’ — especially when she takes a taxi! A journalist based out of Mumbai, Rachel started a personal project called ‘The Greater Bombay’ where she takes photos of the quirky ceilings of taxis. This project has made thousands notice another side of Mumbai! Her collection of photos is ever-expanding with some crazy ceiling designs, from Gabbar Singh to strawberries! We caught up with her to chat about her project and more. Tap on the link in bio and below!  Hello! Rachel, we are happy to have you! Please tell our readers a bit about yourself. My name is Rachel Lopez, I’m 37-years-old and I’m a journalist with the Hindustan Times. I have been in Mumbai for all of my life and today I use this familiarity for my work.  At Hindustan Times, I cover features, edit, do a weekly column …

“Every Vintage Car Has a Story Which I Share Through My Art” – Meet Rupali Prakash, an Illustrator and Vintage Car Collector From Bangalore

Published by Samyama

Rupali Prakash, from Bangalore, is a woman of many talents, to say the least! She is an illustrator and the founder of Classic Chase, a company that restores and rents out vintage cars. She combined her two passions—art and vintage cars—to illustrate vintage cars and keep them alive in the form of art, which is a crucial part of Classic Chase. She creates handcrafted merchandise and even works with groups like the Federation of Historic Vehicles of India (FHVI) and with vintage car clubs around the world, both as an automotive illustrator and as a youth adviser. This dynamic woman from Bangalore has got the world on her mind. Get to know her better as we chat about how she manages to find balance and inspiration for her many projects.  Hey Rupali, it’s great to have you here! Please introduce yourself to our readers. I’m a Punjadiga (half Punjabi & half Kannadiga) and have spent my whole life on a farm with my parents and younger sister on the outskirts of Bangalore. After doing UG …

rootsandleisure_Vancouver_Shullai

“My Poetry is a Protest” — Vancouver Shullai from Shillong, On His First Book ‘How To Love A Broken Man’

Published by Temsulong

At 23, Vancouver Shullai has published his book of poetry, won a national prize for his poetry and is already breaking out of the mold of traditional poetry-writing. Based in Shillong, he recently completed his masters in English from Bengaluru.  Talking to Vancouver Shullai is like taking a walk through his mind. Our conversation with him left us inspired, and wanting to indulge in his poetry. He says, ‘I really think that’s how art works, any form of art, be it music or paintings or films – the liberty to interpret that we as artists give our readers and spectators is in abundance’. Join us for a conversation with the winner of the 2017 Wingword Poetry Prize, on the publication of his first book of poetry, “How To Love A Broken Man”. Vancouver Shullai calls himself an artist, on a journey of constant change and improvement. To start off, we’d like to congratulate you for the release of your book! Please share a bit about yourself with our readers.  Thank you! I’m Vancouver Shullai, 23 …

“Paper Chirrups is An Artistic Pursuit & a Way to Promote Restoration and Conservation of All Endangered Wildlife” – A Chat With Niharika Rajput, Wildlife Artist

Published by Samyama

Niharika Rajput is a wildlife artist and conversationalist based out of Delhi. She specializes in intricate paper and epoxy sculptures of birds and animals. took the form of Paper Chirrups—a project where she explores various birds from all over the world, sculpts them, and also conducts festivals and workshops to spread awareness.  Niharika’s focus has always been to create awareness about the depleting numbers of birds and loss of their habitat. Although a unique art form, sculpting birds came naturally to her as she spent most of her time in nature while growing up, observing and watching birds. Being born in Arunachal Pradesh, she has always had a deep rooted connection with nature which can be seen in her work as well.We chatted with this inspiring young woman about her projects and more. Introduce us to Paper Chirrups!  I have always been a keen observer and deep admirer of all things wild. It was only fitting that I amalgamated the two – my love for the wild and my love for art. When I started …

‘I Knew I Wanted to Study Fashion At The Age of 8’ – A Chat With Shivangi Lahoty, Owner of Inaaya and Co.

Published by Samyama

Shivangi Lahoty, from Nazira, Assam knew that fashion was her true calling when she was 8. With support from her family and friends, she pursued it until it became her profession! She went on to study fashion designing, and then launched her own store called Inaaya and Co. Inaaya is a young, fresh take on ethical fashion. It’s an ethical and premium womenswear clothing and accessory brand, with a store in Ahmedabad.  We had a chance to have a tête-à-tête with this budding creative entrepreneur, owner of Inaaya and Co., about her online store launch at the beginning of next month.  When did your love for designing clothes and fashion begin? I was 8 when I knew I wanted to study fashion. I grew up in a small town called Nazira in Assam. It was heaven on earth, in every sense, including that fact that we had very little connectivity to the internet! Hence, we relied on print media as a source of connection to the outside world.  I remember, one day my father came …

rootsandleisure_runshito_lims

A Dip Into The Mind Of A Young And Inspired Published Poet – Runshito Lims, Nagaland

Published by Samyama

Poetry is not a learned language yet it’s a language that fills you up and breathes your experiences onto paper in rhymes and imagery. 21 year old Runshito Lims never imagined being a poet but has already published his first book, ‘Allegories of Life’ on 26th June! We caught up with him to delve into what guided him towards this milestone. We had a chat with Runshito Lims to talk about his recently published book, “Allegories of life”, his inspirations and more! The man and the book. Recently finishing my Bachelor of Arts from St. Joseph’s College Autonomous Jakhama, Kohima, it was an enriching journey to be able to publish my book.  Life is not all about the air that we breathe. Life is an allegory – it has lots of stories to share. Life is about love and pain and everyone has a different story to tell. All of us live life but are all on different paths. Similarly, everyone interprets the meaning of life in various ways. Like this, love is also defined …

rootsandleisure_keyi_zeliang

A Chat With 19-Year-Old Keyicudauke Iranggau aka Keyi Zeliang, Passionate Singer From Nagaland

Published by Shanmi

We come across so many young and talented musicians in the social media and couldn’t help but reach out to them to have a little chat about their passion and inspiration! Everyone has a different story to tell and today we have Keyicudauke Iranggau, who is better known as Keyi Zeliang. She is a passionate singer hailing from a small village called ‘Old Jalukie’ in Nagaland. She has been performing in church since her younger days and been at different platforms as well. Keyi is enthralling her fans with her powerful and melodious voice as well. We had a quick chat with Keyicudauke Iranggau, passionate singer from Nagaland to talk about how it all started, her inspiration and dreams! Hello! Please tell us a little about yourself. Hi! My name is Keyicudauke Iranggau aka Keyi Zeliang and I am 19-years-old originally from a small village in Nagaland called ‘Old Jalukie’. I’m presently in my 5th semester, pursuing BA Political Science honours at Pranabananda Women’s College, Dimapur, Currently, I’m also taking music classes at the Institution …

rootsandleisure_nareshmeetei

“I Find My Escape From The World In My Paintings” – A Chat With Naresh Meetei, Artist From Manipur

Published by Shanmi

Naresh Meetei is a 33-year-old contemporary artist from Manipur who works currently as an Art director at an advertising agency in New Delhi. Growing up, he was always fond of drawing and doodling. His work consists of interesting synthesis of colours, textures and lines. He draws inspiration from various street artists, mother nature and the internet!  We had a chat with Naresh Meetei, an artist from Manipur to talk about his work, inspirations, his recent work and more! Hello Naresh! Please tell us a little about yourself. My name is Naresh Meetei and I’m 33 years young 🙂 . I was born and brought up in Imphal, Manipur and presently, I work as an Art Director at an advertising agency in New Delhi. I’m currently working on a new series of paintings for my next exhibition in February 2020 and I’m very excited about it. Introduce us to your work. What got you started? As Master Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up“. …